The Nebraska State Patrol released a timeline Sunday of a Friday morning homicide in rural Polk County that culminated in a pursuit and a trooper-involved shooting northeast of David City in Butler County.
Initial call and death in Polk County
Polk County 911 received a call early Friday from an uninvolved person reporting a shooting at a residence in northeast Polk County, the State Patrol said. Law enforcement identified a 45-year-old man from Clarks as the suspect. A 47-year-old resident of Duncan was found dead at the home with multiple gunshot wounds, authorities said.
Search, pursuit and shots fired
Investigators said the suspect had left the scene before officers arrived. The 911 caller told dispatch that the suspect may have been targeting another person; that second person was located and found to be safe, the State Patrol said.
- The Butler County Sheriff’s Office located the suspect’s vehicle on a rural road in Butler County. As a deputy began checking the vehicle, the State Patrol said the suspect fired a rifle at the sheriff; the sheriff was not struck.
- The suspect then drove away. He later stopped at a store in Bellwood and allegedly stole a case of beer before troopers found the vehicle and a brief pursuit followed.
- Troopers said the vehicle pulled into a farmhouse driveway northeast of David City near 37 Road and O Road, where the suspect fired at troopers. Troopers returned fire; the suspect was struck and died at the scene, the State Patrol said.
Investigations and agencies involved
No troopers were injured, and the resident of the farmhouse was unharmed, the State Patrol said. The Polk County Sheriff requested that the Nebraska State Patrol Investigative Services Division handle the homicide inquiry in rural Duncan.
The Butler County attorney asked the State Patrol Special Investigations Unit to probe the trooper-involved shooting. The Special Investigations Unit is conducting the inquiry with assistance from the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, the patrol said. Both investigations remain ongoing.
The State Patrol released the sequence of events and the status of the investigations; investigators continue to gather evidence and interview witnesses as part of standard procedure for a homicide and an officer-involved shooting.
